This project will update the Wittenoom cohorts by tracing cancers and deaths in Australia and Italy. This will improve risk estimates of lung cancer and mesothelioma. In particular we will see if that risk declines with more than 40 years since exposure, in collaboration with Italian colleagues. We will continue developing an interactive community website to act as a support platform, a layman's bridge to medical research knowledge, public health information and an archive of personal stories.
Asbestos And Related Diseases In Western Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$404,727.00
Summary
This project will extend the follow-up of large, well established groups of people who have experienced significant exposure to blue asbestos, either through their jobs or environmentally. Mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis are common among these groups. This study will provide information on the effects of different levels of exposure to blue asbestos. Ways in which these diseases may be prevented through the diet and other lifestyle habits will be closely examined. This project provides ....This project will extend the follow-up of large, well established groups of people who have experienced significant exposure to blue asbestos, either through their jobs or environmentally. Mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis are common among these groups. This study will provide information on the effects of different levels of exposure to blue asbestos. Ways in which these diseases may be prevented through the diet and other lifestyle habits will be closely examined. This project provides important data on the dose-response effects of a known carcinogen. Due to the integrated nature of our already established follow up systems we are in a unique position worldwide to achieve these aims. The dose response relationships between exposure and disease identified by this study will contribute to occupational health and safety exposure standards and compensation policy in Australia. The information on lifestyle factors is appropriate for use in many different health promotion interventions. Ongoing contact with the cohorts is critical to our involvement in collaborative preventative and biological studies.Read moreRead less
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risk of closed, indoor settings due to accumulation of aerosols generated from breathing, speaking, coughing or sneezing. Any airborne threat, whether an infectious virus or a chemical agent, will create a higher exposure in indoor settings. To mitigate this risk, using inter-disciplinary expertise, this research will improve preparedness, reduce health impacts of airborne threats, inform worker and occupant safety, building design and healthy futures.
Acute Respiratory Illness In Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Australian Children And The Pathways To Chronic Lung Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
Dr Kerry-Ann O'Grady aims to establish a comprehensive research program addressing acute and chronic respiratory infections in Australian children in urban, rural and remote areas. Drawing on national and international collaborations, Dr O'Grady will undertake a range of epidemiological and clinical studies that will address burden, risk, pathways to chronic lung disease and novel interventions aimed at improving lung health.
Immunological And Respiratory Effects Among Workers Exposed To Engineered Nanoparticles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$513,507.00
Summary
Laboratory studies suggest that nanoparticles can easily enter the body and may cause more damage than similar, larger particles but human data are lacking. We propose to study the health of nanoparticle-exposed workers and unexposed workers, and compare biomarkers of inflammation in the blood and the respiratory system at the start and end of the shift, end of the working week and after 1 year’s further exposure to nanoparticles.
Do Exposures Before Conception Influence The Risk Of Asthma In Offspring?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$688,586.00
Summary
Asthma and poor lung function are major causes of public health issues. Emerging evidence suggests adverse exposures even before the conception of a child may cause these conditions. The proposed project is part of an international study across generations to identify these factors. This study will provide novel evidence to guide interventions and identify studies to advance this area further. These original findings will be of great importance both nationally and internationally.
Otitis Media In Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Children: Microbiological And Immunological Risk Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$534,400.00
Summary
Otitis media (middle ear infections) is a major health problem in children. Many children suffer repeated attacks requiring frequent courses of antibiotics, some need surgery and some suffer serious consequences, particularly hearing loss. This can affect performance at school, hence employment and social circumstances in adulthood. Indigenous children suffer much higher rates of disease with more complications than non-Indigenous children. Many factors predispose to the heavy burden of disease. ....Otitis media (middle ear infections) is a major health problem in children. Many children suffer repeated attacks requiring frequent courses of antibiotics, some need surgery and some suffer serious consequences, particularly hearing loss. This can affect performance at school, hence employment and social circumstances in adulthood. Indigenous children suffer much higher rates of disease with more complications than non-Indigenous children. Many factors predispose to the heavy burden of disease. In the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area we are following Indigenous and non-Indigenous children from birth to 24 months to look at a broad range of factors in order to proceed as soon as possible to appropriate intervention programs. Samples from the back of the nose are collected to find out the relationship between carriage of a range of bacteria or viruses and risk of getting otitis media. Information on antibiotic resistance of the bacteria we isolate will assist in ensuring appropriate treatment of otitis media. We also collect a sample of breast milk from mothers and several samples of saliva to find out about the immune system of babies and how this relates to disease to assist in an ongoing program of vaccine development for prevention of otitis media. We will find out how environmental factors such as crowding or passive smoking relate to carriage of bacteria and whether a combination of different factors increase risk of disease. A new vaccine called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, recently licensed in Australia, is highly effective in preventing severe diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis and affords some protection against ear infections. It is likely to be offered first to Indigenous children because they suffer very high rates of pneumococcal disease. The vaccine may alter the types of bacteria in the nose. This needs to be monitored carefully which will be possible during this study.Read moreRead less
The Genetic Understanding Of Asbestos Related Disorders (GUARD)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$566,008.00
Summary
This proposal is to build a new national biospeciman resource for mesothelioma research that will both underpin and enhance the national health and medical research effort in Australia by systematically enabling a world-class resource for genetic epidemiological research. The Genetic Understanding of Asbestos-Related Disorders (GUARD) project aims to establish a national facility that will enable new, large-scale DNA banking capacity for malignant mesothelioma (MM) and other asbestos-related dis ....This proposal is to build a new national biospeciman resource for mesothelioma research that will both underpin and enhance the national health and medical research effort in Australia by systematically enabling a world-class resource for genetic epidemiological research. The Genetic Understanding of Asbestos-Related Disorders (GUARD) project aims to establish a national facility that will enable new, large-scale DNA banking capacity for malignant mesothelioma (MM) and other asbestos-related diseases. The GUARD biospecimen resource and linked database will integrate the current WA population-based asbestos-exposed cohorts with case collections from across Australia. The GUARD project will undertake high-quality research aimed at discovering the genes and gene: environment interactions underlying susceptibility, progression and variable response to chemotherapy in mesothelioma, and will facilitate National collaboration and research in the areas of genetic epidemiology and pharmacogenomics. Progress towards the goals of the GUARD project holds the potential for enormous public health benefits; the incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing, due to the long delay between asbestos exposure and diagnosis. GUARD will ensure that Australian researchers have access to a large and well-managed biospecimen resource linked to excellent clinical data, and that Australia takes the lead role internationally in genetic research into mesothelioma. GUARD data will be critical for understanding the importance and functional roles of specific genes in the general Australian population, and their relationship to particular environmental factors. Understanding how causal factors act at a population level will be a critical step for the clinical utilization of new genomic knowledge and tools to improve clinical practice and public health.Read moreRead less
Enhanced Case Finding For Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Vietnam
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$142,931.00
Summary
Vietnam is among the ten high-burden countries for tuberculosis in the Asia-Pacific region. This project will assess patterns of tuberculosis transmission and its prevalence among the Vietnamese population, and investigate new approaches to enhance case detection. It will also screen for genetic markers of disease susceptibility to tuberculosis among Vietnamese people.